I hate cars...

IronGiant

Very good

Bl4ckGryph0n

Unfortunately that doesn't explain the 'stopped' working part unless the car fairies exist and love playing shuffle the fuse. Which lets face it is not a logical conclusion.

IronGiant

A quick Google suggests it's a common fault because the motor is "made of cheese"  

Bl4ckGryph0n

Now there is a totally logical explanation. I guess it wasn't a hard Pardano, but more like a soft Leerdammer with holes in it?

On a serious note, do you have a test light or a multi-meter? That should be easily confirmed.

Should being the operative word as I have a similar issue with my daughters Golf in that the screen wash is not spraying. But having a test light or multi meter on the motor whilst pulling back the stalk at the same time is hitting the boundaries of my personal fitness and flexibility levels

IronGiant

Yes, that's my first step...

un1eash

As I said, its most likely spraying the water into the motor housing. On the octavia also if your not getting water there is a connection left side behind the boot trim that can come undone. Its conveniently located above the parking sensor module which gets a nice soaking.

                                                                                                                                       

IronGiant

The wash is working on mine, but I'll double check it.  Thanks.

IronGiant

The estate motor is slightly different in that the washer pipe is fed to the nozzle independent from the wiper motor.  I managed to source one for £45 but changing them over made no difference.
Then it occurred to me that I was fiddling around in the fuse box a month or so ago, fitting a switch to allow me to turn off the boot lights when the lid was left open for an extended period.  Placed a 15A fuse in position 18 and the rear wiper now works .  While making space for fuse extenders for fuse 15 (internal lights) I must have pulled the fuse from 18 and replaced it in 17 afterwards

Trollslayer

But...  but...  but...  but... you're prefect!

IronGiant

I did think long and hard as to whether I should admit it was my own fault .   I was just about to book it into a garage so I'm glad I double checked the fuses.  The label inside the Fusebox lid is still adamant that it's fuse 41 and that 18 is unused.  But having looked in more detail today, the fuse bank 41 is in doesn't even have any contacts in it.   So the generic handbook that covers all variants was correct it was 18, but the label in the fuse box wasn't.